LiveWorld Transcripts

HealthShop presents

Ann Louise Gittleman
Author of “The Living Beauty Detox Program"

February 03, 2000

Ann Louise Gittleman, author of “The Living Beauty Detox Program” answers questions about reading your body's beauty and health signals, how appearance reflects inner health, and how to eat right to achieve your best looks.

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Healthshop: Welcome to Healthshop.com's live chat series. Our guest today is Ann Louise Gittleman, author of "The Living Beauty Detox Program" and "Beyond Pritikin," and former director of nutrition at the renowned Pritikin Longevity Center. Ann Louise is here to answer your questions about reading your body's beauty and health signals, how appearance reflects inner health, and how to eat right to achieve your best looks. How are you tonight Ann Louise?

Ann Louise: I am just fine, and raring to go!

Wesley: What first got you interested in a healthier lifestyle?

Ann Louise: I first became interested in health many years ago when I suffered from acne. I learned that what I put in my mouth very oftentimes ended up on my skin. So I would say, for the past thirty odd years, that I have been very concerned about healthy food and a fit lifestyle, because I believe what you put in your body starts to show up on the outside. And today, more than ever, that old adage, "You are what you eat," is fast being replaced by the more accurate, "You are what you absorb." And what we are absorbing in the 21st Century is shocking. We have a whole new breed of foreign chemicals called xenobiotics, or synthetic estrogens, which have surfaced since World War II. They add about fifty different varieties of endocrine disrupters to the ever-expanding toxic waste dump in our bodies. In essence, our bodies are becoming toxic waste dumps in need of a Superfund cleanup!

Viper: Was there a period in your life when you were unhealthy?

Ann Louise: Oh yes! I went through many different dietary journeys, shall we say, in search of the perfect diet. I was a vegetarian, a macrobiotic, a raw foods fan, and I even fasted on juices for weeks at a time. I found that many of these programs did not serve me well. And as a matter of fact, in college, this was during my senior year in college to be exact, while on a strict vegan diet, my hair fell out, my skin erupted, and I was miserable. And so, I learned early on that what seems to work for other people, based on the tons of health books I was reading, might not have been the right program for my own body. Since that time, I have worked with thousands of men and women who've been on the same health journey that I have. I've tried to help them achieve the proper diet, the right supplementation, and how to cleanse and detoxify their systems safely. So it's been a journey that is never ending, because what used to work ten to twenty years ago is not the same program that I would recommend for every body today.

Polidor: What does your current diet consist of?

Ann Louise: Well, this morning, I enjoyed leftover salmon soup, which I had made the night before for dinner. It included fresh salmon, tons of greens like parsley and kale, as well as some fresh carrots. And believe it or not, that was my breakfast. I try to start the day with protein, which I find is essential for my body as well as my brain. For lunch, I had a Caesar's salad with some fresh chicken breast. And in the middle of the day, I enjoyed some fresh almonds that I nibble on constantly, because I find that the calcium, and especially the magnesium, are really good for those mid-afternoon slumps. Tonight, I'm going to have a stir-fry with vegetables from my garden, and a ton of pumpkin seeds thrown in, because not only do I love pumpkin seeds, but they are very high in zinc, which I find to be a beauty mineral extraordinaire. Zinc is extremely important for strong hair, good skin, and it is a precursor to testosterone, the hormone of desire that I think we all desire.

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